Every sunken, wavy, weed-filled paver patio you have ever seen failed for the same reason: the base was rushed. Pavers themselves are nearly indestructible. What moves is the ground under them — and in Western Washington, saturated soil moves a lot.
Step one is excavation. We strip sod and dig down far enough to fit the base and the paver itself, usually eight to ten inches for a patio and deeper for anything a vehicle will cross. Digging shallow to save a few hours is the single most common shortcut in this trade.
Step two is the crushed rock base, and this is where the job is won. Rock goes in and gets compacted in layers, not all at once, because a plate compactor can only densify a few inches at a time. The base is also graded to fall slightly away from the house so water always has somewhere to go.
Step three is a screeded sand bed — thin and consistent. Sand is a leveling layer, not a base. Piling it thicker to correct for a lumpy base only guarantees the patio will move later.
Step four is setting the pavers tight to the pattern, cutting the perimeter cleanly, and locking the whole field in with edge restraint. Without that restraint, the outer rows creep outward every season until the joints open up.
Last comes joint sand, swept in and compacted so the pavers interlock and share load instead of acting as separate stones. Done in that order, a patio stays flat and tight for decades.
Thinking about a patio, walkway, or retaining wall? Call (425) 212-0027 for a free on-site estimate.